


Sword and Shield

by Rookblonkorules



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Fear gas, Gen, Kidnapping, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sick Fic, Whump, accidental injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-24 21:58:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19732594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rookblonkorules/pseuds/Rookblonkorules
Summary: "Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in yours. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what." -UnknownA series of unrelated Batfamily one-shots.





	1. Chapter 1

Dick was miserable. 

That felt like too much of an understatement.

One sneeze, a temperature that was running just a little too high. 

That was all it took for Bruce to bench him from patrol until further notice. 

But Bruce was still going. It made sense. Crime wasn’t going to take a rest in Gotham because one half of the Dynamic Duo needed a sick day. 

It still stung to be the one left behind.

It wasn’t as if Alfred could stay with him. Batman’s backup. And, being sick, Dick was, of course, not allowed in the cave. 

It was selfish to wish Alfred could spend some time with him right now, but Dick couldn’t help it. He was sick. He was lonely. He was tired.

He was sitting on the couch, a mug of tea- some herbal remedy concoction Alfred had brewed- clutched in his hand. He hadn’t taken more than a sip, but it warmed his fingers, so he clung to it. 

And if he felt it was like holding a tiny piece of Alfred’s comfort, so what? He brought it close to his nose, breathing deeply. The steam wafted up into his face. 

Slowly, he pressed the rim to his lips and sipped. The taste was bitter and he scrunched his nose up- Alfred hadn’t added any milk or sugar- but he took another sip anyways.

“How you feeling, chum?”

In his surprise, Dick jumped… realizing belatedly that he still had the cup of tea in his hands. He fumbled with it, miraculously managing to avoid spills. 

Despite himself, he grinned victoriously. Acrobatics won out in the end. They always did.

“Steady there.” Two strong hands landed on his shoulder.

Dick tilted his head back, eyes widening in surprise. “Bruce?” 

He couldn’t help it. He grinned, thrilled.

But then… he frowned. Bruce’s presence when he was supposed to be somewhere else aside, there was a distinctive lack of a batsuit. Bruce was wearing simple jeans and a semi-nice shirt. It was about as informal as he ever got.

“Wait, aren’t…?”

Bruce moved around the couch, keeping his hand on Dick’s shoulder the whole time, until he was sitting next to the boy. The couch cushion dipped under Bruce’s weight and the man raised his arm slightly.

As soon as the invitation was extended, Dick scrambled closer to his guardian, tucking himself into the little crook against Bruce’s side. 

Bruce’s arm settled comfortably over the boy’s shoulders.

“You’re asking why I’m not… out, right now?” Bruce asked. The corner of his lip twitched into an almost-smile.

Dick nodded mutely.

“Alfred remind me,” Bruce said, “that Gotham isn’t the only one who needs me.”

Dick gave him a look that was equal parts hopeful and uncertain.

Bruce confirmed it. “That means you, kiddo.”

He settled back on the couch, grabbing the remote. 

“So,” he asked, casually, “what are we watching?”

“Actually,” Dick snuggled up against his arm, “I was hoping you could maybe just,” he turned pleading eyes up at Bruce, “sit with me?”

Bruce set the remote down on the arm of the couch.

“Yes,” he said, smiling fondly at the dark head resting against his shoulder. With his hand, he gently ruffled the dark locks, “I can do that.”


	2. Fearful

It had all happened too quickly. 

He heard the hiss of gas, followed by her gasp.

It was the only warning he had. 

He spun around, her name on the tip of his tongue.

“Batgirl!” She was on her knees, hands over her face. 

Scarecrow was running. Distantly, that registered in Nightwing’s mind that he was getting away, but he let him go. 

Let him run.

Batgirl was more important to him right now.

She wasn’t making a sound.

There was nothing to suggest what she was currently experiencing. 

He placed a hand on her shoulder, seeking to shake her out of the nightmare before it had a chance to begin.

“Bat…”

“No!”

Her forearm slammed up and into his chin, driving his head back.

“Nnng.” His teeth clacked together- he avoided biting his tongue, but the force of it still jarred his jaw.

Automatically, he let her go, flipping back so that he was out of range of her strikes. His hand went up to rub his jaw.

It wasn’t broken, but it was sure as hell going to have a bruise in the morning.

She didn’t have Batman’s sheer power, but Batgirl was strong. Taking into account the fear-induced state she was currently in, Nightwing couldn’t underestimate her.

He would have to size her up, the way he would any other foe. Take her out. 

Do it without hurting her if he can. Without her hurting him if he can manage that as well.

But she was his priority.

Batgirl had stumbled to her feet. Her eyes were looking right at him, but they weren’t seeing  _ him. _

Nightwing held up his hands, hoping that maybe by showing that he didn’t intend to hurt her, he could defuse the situation before it escalated.

“Babs,” he said. He risked using her real name, keeping his voice gentle. 

Her lips twisted into a snarl. “No,” she said. “No, you don’t get to use my name like that.” Her voice broke on the first syllable, her lip trembling almost unnoticeably, but Nightwing knew her well. But it got stronger as she kept talking. Her fists clenched “Not after what you did.”

Cripes. Nightwing swallowed. He saw it coming a mile away. Really, he did. But he still wanted to avoid it. 

“Babs, I’m not…”

“Stop using my name!” Batgirl lunged for him.

Nightwing sidestepped, catching her arm. He used her own momentum against her, redirecting her. 

He twisted around so that he was behind her, one hand still gripping her wrist. He wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, pinning her against his body.

She threw herself forward, straining against his hold.

He held on for all he was worth.

“Babs!” he ground out between clenched teeth. “Stop it! You’re not acting like yourself.”

Batgirl didn’t seem to hear him, crying out in rage. She slammed her head back, connecting squarely with the soft cartilage of Nightwing’s nose with a sickening crunch. At the same time, she brought her boot down on his instep. 

He should have seen it coming.

He hadn’t.

Nightwing staggered back, barely stifling a pained grunt. His gloved hands flew up, clutching at his face. 

Before he had time to recover, her fist found his stomach, driving the air from his lungs. 

“ _ Oof!” _ Nightwing doubled over, struggling hard to regain his breath. 

She spun, aiming a kick for his head. 

Nightwing ducked under, spinning around so that he was behind her once again.

“Batgirl,  _ stop!” _

He was losing his patience for this. And fast. 

She was going to hurt someone. Whether that someone was going to be him or herself remained to be seen.

Whatever Batgirl was seeing, he had to find a way to break through the vision, to bring her back to reality.

Snarling, she lunged for him again.

Without skipping a beat, Nightwing twisted his body, using his powerful leg muscles to propel himself into the air, flipping over her head.

He landed in a crouch on her other side. 

Before she could adjust her position to meet his, he leapt to his feet and was charging towards her.

She spun to meet him just as he collided with her.

Nightwing didn’t give himself time to think about it. He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her own to her side, and held on. 

“No!” 

She kicked against his hold, but he grit his teeth and held on.

“Batgirl,” he said, fully aware of the way his voice broke, “you’re not yourself. You have to snap out of it.  _ Please.” _

He could feel the muscles in her arms straining against his to break free. He locked his fingers together to get a more secure grip, holding her tightly against his chest, praying he wasn’t hurting her.

“You need to get it together, Batgirl. Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real!”

Loose strands of her red hair brushed against his chin and cheek. He could smell the shampoo she’d used this morning.

“Let me go!” She was crying now. It broke a little piece of Dick’s heart to hear her. Whatever she was seeing… it had to be bad. “Let me go!  _ Let me go!” _

And then she slammed her head back, smashing into his nose once again.

Nightwing cried out, his head snapping back.

This time, he was certain something had broken.

This time though, he held on. 

In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of a dark shape dropping down off to his left.

_ Batman. _

Nightwing’s legs felt almost rubbery with relief, but he held himself upright.

Batman was at his side immediately. 

He didn’t ask what happened. The effects of Crane’s fear gas were well known among all of them. 

Behind the lenses, Batgirl’s eyes landed on him and she recoiled against Dick in fear. “No,” she whimpered. Her struggles had lessened. She seemed to have realized that she wasn’t going to get away.

Batman’s frown deepened, the only indicator of his emotional state. He reached for her and she pulled away, but there was nowhere for her to go. He grasped her neck firmly, practiced fingers seeking out the pressure point in her neck. 

It was the logical course of action- as well as the safest for Barbara. Without knowing what blend of chemicals were present in the concoction Crane had unleashed, they couldn’t risk adding anything else to her system.

Her breath hitched, panic, terror even, written in her body language, on what could be seen of her features, before she went limp in Nightwing’s arms. 

The sudden dead weight had him stumbling backwards.

Batman caught her, sharing Nightwing’s burden. Together, they sank to their knees, slowly lowering her to the ground.

The look he gave the younger man was knowing- the fight, Nightwing was only just realizing, had taken more out of him than he had thought.

The offer itself was unspoken, but Nightwing understood it nonetheless. He shook his head, cradling her against his chest.

“No,” he said, his eyes pleading with the older man. “Let me. I can carry her.”

He gathered her up in his arms. 

Her head lolled listlessly against his shoulder and his heart did a little flop in his chest. She was anything but, but… here in his arms right now, she seemed so fragile. Breakable.

Like a porcelain doll. 

Almost immediately, he winced inwardly. She would hate that comparison.

Yet he still held her closer to his heart.

“Get her to the car,” Batman said quietly. 

Dick sat in the chair and poked gingerly at his bandaged nose.

It hurt and he winced.

_ Bad plan, Dick. _

“The idea is to leave it alone. So it can heal, y’know.”

Dick looked up. 

Jason stood, his jacket slung over his shoulder, a sardonic smile playing at his lips.

“You look terrible. How do you feel?”

Dick shrugged one shoulder and slumped back. 

“Like my girlfriend kicked the crap out of me?” he offered. At least it was the truth.

“Oof. Yeah. Can’t say I envy you that one.” Jason winced. “Babs has a mean right hook.”

Eyebrow raised, Dick lifted his chin and flashed Jason a slightly bemused look. “You would know that… how exactly?”

“Uh…” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Misunderstanding.”

Curiosity gathered at the back of his skull, but Dick settled back and decided not to press it.

Dick had learned to recognize that there was a point when Jason stopped talking. 

He’d just have to ask Babs about it later. 

It might give him some good blackmail material if nothing else. 

But speaking of…

“How is she? Do you know?”

A part of him resented that his brother knew how his girlfriend was doing before he knew himself.

He shoved that to the back of his mind. He had no time for a conflict with Jason- especially one that wasn’t his brother’s fault.

After bringing her back to the cave, Bruce had taken her, insisting that Dick get his nose looked at by Alfred before he damaged something permanently.

He had relinquished her from his care only reluctantly. 

“Sleeping.”

That was… good. Better than the terror fueled rage he’d last seen her in. 

“I’ll… go see her now.”

Jason settled back, trying, and failing, to hide his grin.

“Yeah. You go do that.”


End file.
